Hello Aredling,
IBS
===
?What causes one person to have IBS and not another? No one knows.
Symptoms cannot be traced to a single organic cause. Research suggests
that people with IBS seem to have a colon that is more sensitive and
reactive than usual to a variety of things, including certain foods
and stress. Some evidence indicates that the immune system, which
fights infection, is also involved.?
http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/ibs/
?After all, IBS is a complex syndrome that not only involves
problems with bowel movement, but also stomach pain, discomfort,
bloating, and gas. The goal of treatment is to improve all of your
symptoms.
To find out what treatment is right for you, talk with your doctor.
Never attempt to treat yourself for IBS without consulting with a
doctor. Some over-the-counter medicines and supplements have health
risks if taken for a long time. Your doctor will likely recommend one
or a combination of the following treatment strategies.?
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/86/99279.htm
Please read the sites for each link provided, for complete
information. Copyright law prohibits posting more than what I have
posted here.
Medications:
============
?Medications are an important part of relieving symptoms. Your
doctor may suggest fiber supplements or occasional laxatives for
constipation, as well as medicines to decrease diarrhea, tranquilizers
to calm you, or drugs that control colon muscle spasms to reduce
abdominal pain. Antidepressants may also relieve some symptoms.
Medications available to treat IBS specifically are the following:
? Alosetron hydrochloride (Lotronex) has been re-approved by the U.S.
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for women with severe IBS who have
not responded to conventional therapy and whose primary symptom is
diarrhea. However, even in these patients, it should be used with
caution because it can have serious side effects, such as severe
constipation or decreased blood flow to the colon.
? Tegaserod maleate (Zelnorm) has been approved by the FDA for the
short-term treatment (usually 4 weeks) of women with IBS whose primary
symptom is constipation.
http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/ibs/#treatment
?A majority of doctors said that while IBS may be distressing, it
is not a serious medical condition, according to the survey, which was
funded by Glaxo Wellcome, Inc.
The advent of the new IBS drugs like Lotronex® (alosetron
hydrochloride) and Zelnorm® (tegaserod maleate) hasn't settled debate
among doctors as to whether IBS is largely psychosomatic, with
symptoms occurring as the result of stress or other emotional
problems, or physiological. The fact is, IBS is the most common of all
digestive disorders, but no one really knows what causes it.
"IBS is a real, chronic medical condition with painful and potentially
debilitating symptoms," says Lin Chang, M.D., co-director of the
Neuroenteric Disease Program at the University of California at Los
Angeles Medical School and a technical adviser on the IBS survey.
Research, Chang says, suggests that the disorder stems from a
physiologic abnormality.?
http://www.healthatoz.com/healthatoz/Atoz/dc/caz/digs/ibsn/alert11291999.jsp
Diet
====
Some doctors feel that diet is not a factor in IBS, which may be
why your husband was not given a specific diet. Diet is rather
individual in IBS, with some foods aggravating one person, and not
another. Your husband might consider keeping a food diary for a few
months and note any patterns between foods and symptoms.
?While dietary factors do not cause IBS, they may aggravate symptoms
in some persons. Increased intestinal muscle reactivity and/or
heightened sensitivity in IBS can cause the bowel to over-respond to
stimuli. Even a normal event such as the act of eating itself, and not
a particular food, may aggravate symptoms at times.
Nonetheless, certain foods are known to stimulate gut reactions in
general, and in those with IBS eating too much of these might
influence or worsen symptoms. For example, meals that are too large or
high in fat, fried foods, coffee, caffeine, or alcohol may provoke
symptoms of abdominal cramps and diarrhea. Eating too much of some
types of sugar that are poorly absorbed by the bowel (e.g., sorbitol,
commonly used as a sweetener in many dietetic foods, candies, and
gums; and fructose, also used as a sweetener and found naturally in
honey as well as some fruits) can also cause cramping or diarrhea.
Some foods are gas producing (e.g., beans, cabbage, legumes,
cauliflower, broccoli, lentils, Brussels sprouts, raisins, onions,
bagels) and eating too much may cause increased gaseousness,
particularly since IBS can be associated with retention of gas and
bloating.?
http://www.aboutibs.org/Publications/dietaryGuidelines.html
Dietary factors: ?However, a substantial amount of research has been
done to determine the relationship between food and other digestive
diseases. This article will examine five such diseases that affect the
GI system: gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), celiac disease,
food allergies, lactose intolerance, and eosinophilic gastroenteritis.
The possible presence of these five diseases should be considered in
the diagnosis of a functional GI disorder. Not only can some of the
symptoms associated with these diseases be found in functional GI
disorders, but some of these diseases can coexist with, or be confused
with, a functional GI disorder. These diseases do have distinguishing
characteristics that, upon investigation, differentiate them from
functional GI disorders.?
http://www.aboutibs.org/Publications/dietaryGuidelines.html#6
Many sites recommend drinking extra water. ?Drinking six to eight
glasses of plain water a day is important, especially if you have
diarrhea. But drinking carbonated beverages, such as sodas, may result
in gas and cause discomfort. Chewing gum and eating too quickly can
lead to swallowing air, which again leads to gas.
Also, large meals can cause cramping and diarrhea, so eating smaller
meals more often or eating smaller portions should help IBS symptoms.
It may also help if your meals are low in fat and high in
carbohydrates, such as pasta, rice, whole-grain breads and cereals
(unless you have celiac disease), fruits, and vegetables.?
http://heartburn.about.com/od/whatcausesheartburn/a/ibs_basics_4.htm
Diet with Alternatives:
=======================
This site may look a bit cutesy, but the diet advice is right on. (I
can?t vouch for or recommend the products sold here, however)
?Please don't read this list and assume that you can never again eat
any of these foods, so life is no longer worth living. These are all
IBS triggers, yes, and some of them you will probably have to
completely eliminate from your diet. BUT - others can be eaten in
small quantities when you follow the How to Eat guidelines coming up,
many of the items listed have safer substitutes you can use freely,
and there are quite a few tips and tricks you'll soon learn for
cooking with the nutritious foods on the list in a safe manner. So
take heart, this isn't the end of the world ? it's just the beginning
of a better diet.?
http://www.helpforibs.com/diet/trigger2.asp
?The success of the dietary treatment of IBS lies very much in
individualised patient assessment, planning and follow up, there is no
blueprint of generalised dietary advice which will work for everyone.
We will all react differently to the manipulation of our diets.
Bearing all this in mind, we suggest that you should take the
information presented here as a guideline to assess if your dietary
intake is anywhere in the region of what is considered normal, then on
a basis of this decide whether you need to seek further advice.? There
are several links at the bottom of this site, leading to diet tips.
http://www.ibs-research-update.org.uk/IBS/diet1ie4.html
?A typical meal plan for IBS sufferers
This meal plan provides 25 - 30 g of fibre from a variety of sources
and 30 - 35 g of fat depending on the quantity of added margarine, oil
and fat content of dairy foods.
Breakfast - a bowl of high fibre cereal such as untoasted muesli,
weetbix or porridge with fresh or tinned fruit and reduced fat milk or
a calcium fortified soy milk and/ or wholemeal or grain toast with
minimal margarine and honey or vegemite. Tea.
Lunch - sandwiches made with wholemeal bread with low fat cheese, lean
beef, tinned fish and salad. Tinned or fresh fruit with low fat
yoghurt. Water, tea or diluted juice.
Main Meal - water, lean grilled chicken with lemon juice and pepper.
Served with salad, boiled new potatoes and wholemeal bread.
Snacks spread throughout the day - fresh fruit, low fat yoghurt,
crackers with cheese, or wholemeal crumpets with honey. Water, tea or
diluted juice.?
http://www.gastro.net.au/diets/irritablebowel.html
Gluten: ?Gluten free was the way to go, my stomach stopped heaving all
the time after about a week. After three days my indigestion
disappeared. I'd been using milanta or quickease everyday for about
five years beforehand, haven't used it once since! So after about
three weeks gluten free I was dismissed from work because of lack of
work output and being sick all the time (fair enough).?
http://www.ibstales.com/men_and_diarrhea_2.htm
Gluten-free
?Gluten is a mixture of proteins found in some cereals, particularly
wheat. It is the gliadin component of gluten which is responsible for
coeliac disease. A gluten-free diet is not the same as a wheat-free
diet, and some gluten-free foods are not wheat free. Despite a good
deal of research, it is unknown how or exactly why gluten harms the
gut. It is now considered likely that coeliac disease involves an
abnormal immunologic response, rather than an enzyme deficiency as was
suggested in the past.?
http://www.vegsoc.org/info/gluten.html
?Many cases of chronic diarrhoea respond well to a gluten free diet
(Foods high in gluten are wheat, barley and rye) (5).
Rice on the other hand is low in gluten and has been shown by research
at the International Centre of Diarrhoeal Disease Research,
Bangladesh,to have a highly beneficial effect on persistent diarrhoea
(6).
Ensuring good digestion and assimilation of food is the paramount
consideration in diarrhoea. Simple steps can be taken to help in
addition to those mentioned above. For instance, chewing your food
thoroughly, relaxing when eating, not mixing high protein foods (eg.
meats, poultry, fish, eggs, soya and dairy) with high carbohydrate
foods (eg, bread, potatoes, rice, pasta, wholegrains) are very basic
measures we can all take.?
http://www.internethealthlibrary.com/Health-problems/Irritable%20Bowel%20Syndrome%20-%20researchDiet&Lifestyle.htm
One IBS sufferer wrote up her results:
?Here are the tips I found helpful for getting rid of my IBS. I do
believe that everyone is different and has different dietary
requirements, but these are the tips I personally found helpful. (They
overlap somewhat with my fibromyalgia diet tips, so you may want to
read that section, too.)?
http://www.ctds.info/ibs_diet.html
Alternative:
============
?The good news is that there is plenty you can do and most of it is
as simple as avoiding the foods known to exacerbate the problem.
Two-thirds of IBS sufferers, for example, have been found to have
hidden food intolerances. The worst culprits are wheat, dairy, coffee,
tea, citrus fruits, and lactose (the sugar in cow's milk.) In 20% of
sufferers, potatoes are a problem too. An elimination diet that
removes these foods has been shown help yet when 300
gasteroenterologists gathered for a conference in the UK recently,
only four said they ever prescribed dietary changes to help patients
recover. If the message is going to take this long to filter down from
the specialists to the family doctor, you are going to have to take
this problem into your own hands.?
?Natural probiotics include bananas, onions, garlic, artichokes,
barley, rye, tomatoes, honey, and asparagus - but if you already have
IBS you can't really eat enough to make a big difference. Cut out
stimulants including tea, coffee, alcohol, and chocolate and avoid
wheat, dairy, and citrus fruits. Substitute soya milk for cow's milk.
Your symptoms should improve over six months after which you can start
to re-introduce the offending foods in small quantities but if
symptoms recur, eliminate them again. Find a way to reduce stress -
maybe take up yoga, tai chi, or autogenic training.?
http://www.whatreallyworks.co.uk/start/factsheets.asp?article_ID=408
Supplements
===========
?Most reputable Irritable Bowel Syndrome supplements are very safe and
healthy overall (and they're usually inexpensive as well), so you
definitely don't have much to lose by trying them.
Probiotics, such as acidophilus, are live cultures, and are available
as pills or in soy yogurt (avoid dairy yogurt - see dietary trigger
foods to learn why). Probiotics occur naturally in fermented foods.?
?Probiotics are particularly effective when your gut is under assault
from antibiotics, though they can also be helpful when taken for daily
maintenance. Quite a few research studies have shown that probiotics
can dramatically improve irritable bowel syndrome. The problem is that
other studies have found that many retail brands of probiotics don't
actually contain any live cultures at all, and are thus worthless.
Though probiotic supplements are widely available at drug and health
food stores, it can be difficult to know if the brand you're buying is
high quality and really does contain live cultures. Probiotic
supplements should be taken with food.
Calcium and Magnesium play critical and antagonistic roles in
regulating muscle function. Together they provide the mechanism for
muscle contraction and relaxation.?
http://www.helpforibs.com/supplements/
?Anecdotal evidence has shown for many years now, properly prepared
probiotic formulas with "good" bacteria give remarkable results for
people with gastro-intestinal disorders such as IBS and Crohn's
disease and colitis. However, due to the huge numbers of variables
when trying to scientifically evaluate a trial involving probiotics,
the scientific community dismiss the obvious results that most people
attain on probiotics as "unscientific". Isn't it about time more
credence was given to people who have recovered good health when using
a natural approach rather than dismiss it as anecdotal rubbish and
advocate toxic drugs instead??
http://www.health-report.co.uk/probiotics-irritable-bowel-syndrome.htm
?Colonic Massage
Perform the massage either sitting on the toilet or lying down with
your knees bent. Make a fist with your right hand and massage your
colon using a digging, circular motion with your knuckles. Start at
the lower right quadrant of your abdomen (just inside your hip bone)
and work up to under the right side of your ribcage, then straight
across, then down the left quadrant of your abdomen and when you get
to just inside your left hip bone, massage in towards your groin/pubic
bone.?
http://www.healingwell.com/library/ibs/article.asp?author=thompson&id=2
Finally, don?t give up on the idea of an anti-depressant! Today?s
newer SSRIs are more effective, with far fewer side effects than
previous generations of medicines. Together, with counseling, they can
help, and be an effective method of overcoming depression. Often,
patients work through the cause of depression, and are weaned off the
antidepressants after a relatively short time. Many people are unaware
that the cause of their physical symptoms may be caused by an
imbalance of chemicals in the brain. Depression can even cause body
aches!
http://healthlink.mcw.edu/article/1031002253.html
Additional Resources:
=====================
http://www.ibspage.com/
http://www.foodintol.com/bowel.asp
Another answer by my colleague boquinha-ga on IBS
http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=254226
Here are some of my previous answers about antidepressants:
http://answers.google.com/answers/search?q=crabcakes-ga+%2B+ssri&qtype=all&btnG=Google+Search
I hope this has helped you and your husband begin to find some
relief. Please request an Answer Clarification if any part of my
answer is unclear, and allow me to respond, before you rate. I will be
happy to assist you further on this question, if possible, before you
rate.
Sincerely, Crabcakes
Search Terms
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IBS + diet
Gluten + IBS
probiotics + IBS
IBS + treatment |
